Isaiah 6:1-8. 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

You have blessed me Lord in the partaking of Spiritual Direction School. Today I begin a greater, more focused journey to being a conduit of Your grace. The first assignment of prayer with scripture was enlightening, confusing and finally reassuring. As I look back, I see your hand in it all.

A vision has come to a King, and you O my Lord the most high, are seated on a throne. The seraphim are around you, and I see many wings cover their eyes and feet. As I look at them, I wonder, are the two wings covering their eyes to to stop looking about and to use their ears to listen instead? Is it to eliminate visual distractions and focus on Your word? Two more wings are covering their feet; is this so they are blessed to be firmly planted in you? Can this give them the grace to surrender their abilities and become reliant only on yours? Yet I see these seraphim are given two more wings to which they will use to fly. I think that flying with unseen feet and covered eyes make trusting in you essential. What do you need to do to me so that I may trust in you as they do?

I am grateful for this picture of trust the seraphim are showing me because I am often not trusting, but worrying or being anxious instead. And not just the Seraphim, but all the Angels and Saints – all in the church triumphant and the church suffering that chose to follow You. They are an example for me in following you – not because you are difficult to follow; your simple truth and love are living and real to me – but more so because the path in this world is filled with detours, distractions and debris. There are shiny plates spinning and I am attracted to them all. These beloved who are part of your body, in heaven and earth; these beautiful souls I walk with today here in this school; we all sound the cry “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” I am remembering so many of those I loved who are with you now joining me in praise. I am filled with hope for their prayers from heaven are reaching into my heart as I continue to be with them, as I am with you.

You hear my cries, you see my sorrow, you sent the seraphim with a live coal to touch my lips and from this comes freedom – freedom from sin that held me in prison, from self loathing and hatred, despair, guilt and sorrow. You have lifted me out of the smoke, you have set me apart. And you have atoned for my sin. I hear you say “Whom shall I send? and who will go for us? I cannot do anything but answer Here I am Lord, send me.” My tears of joy flow, my heart is filled with gratitude and thanksgiving, for my prayer is the flower and your mercy is the fruit.

Prayer 613